Statement

Statement

Being a ballet dancer has shaped how I view the world. With all the beauty I experience, it has made me obsessive, overly analytical and unable to avoid comparing myself and how I look with others. I am constantly bombarded with, constantly observing, and constantly seeking perfection. This has led to wondering what is normal, what is healthy, what is beautiful and why is there such a tumultuous relationship between beauty and pain?

Ballet is a central inspiration, but it allows for expansion of discussion. For example, ballet is one of the most feminine things a girl could do, but I don’t feel girly. There is a great deal of pain and strength that goes into appearing delicate. I have to sew my pointe shoes constantly and because of that, not only do I bruise and blister my feet, I cut and discolor my fingers. Thread has a wonderful ability to convey multiple meanings.. The medium of thread also has a very soft, feminine, almost domestic feel and I like to remove it from that connotation with juxtaposed imagery. Pain, as it usually is, underlies something beautiful.

In my work, I want to visually emphasize what my mind naturally sees; the negative spaces where fat should be and the soft curves where it is in excess, sharp bones and the nuances of internal structures under skin. When we see someone, it is natural for us to judge- she’s too skinny, she’s too fat. This isn’t necessary. I want people to see these figures, but not come to a conclusion about them, just to act as witness .